Car-fender.



F. E. HUTCHINGS. GAR FENDER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1912.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO4, FHOfO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C,

FREDERICK E. HUTCI'IINGS, OF NEW YGRK, N. Y.

GAR-FENDER.

Specification of-Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Application filed June 7, 1912.v Serial No. 702,227.

To all 1072 0722 it may concern v Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. Huron- INGS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Im proved Car-Fender, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

'This invention relates to certain improve ments in fenders for vehicles, and more particularly to that type of fender which in eludes a body portion adapted to pick up and carry any person, animal, or inanimate object which may be on the track or in the path of the vehicle. My invention is equally applicable to fenders used on street cars and motor vehicles. Fenders of these characters as ordinarily constructed, are resiliently supported out of engagement with the ground, so as to freely pass over irregularities in the road bed. Such fenders are open to the objections that they swing up and down under the motion of the vehicle and often pass entirely over a body which it is desired to pick up, particularly if such body be in such position that it may roll along in front of the fender. Fenders which are held so that they can not .rise more than a minimum distance above the ground often mangle or seriously injure bodies with which they engage and which get partly beneath the fender.

The object of my invention is to permit the bringing of the front edge of the fender body as close to the ground as possible, so as to prevent the fender from passing over any body which it is desired to pick up, and, at the same time, to permit the fender to ride over any fixed obstacles in the form of irregularities in the road bed.

My invention is particularly applicable for use in connection with normally raised fenders, such, for instance, as that shown in my Patent No. 1,018,563, granted February 27, 1912, but it is, of course, understood that it is not limited in its use to this type of fender.

In the preferred construction I provide the fender body at its forward portion with a forwardlyand downwardly-projecting edge plate disposed closely adjacent to the ground and adapted to slip beneath and raise any portable obstacle, but this plate is so mounted that it may tip or tilt and present a downwardlyand rearwardly-inclined surface which will raise the fender and cause it to slip over fixed projections.

parts in normal lowered position, and Fig. 3 i

is a section similar to Fig. 2, but showing the edge plate in the position for passing over fixed obstructions.

My invention does not in any way relate to the mechanism for supporting, releasing or operating the fender, and, therefore, I have not illustrated any of this portion of the mechanism of the fender.

My invention is applicable to any type of fender in which there is a fender body adapted to pick up portable bodies forming obstructions in its path, and it may be applied either to fenders of a type which are normally supported in raised position and only lowered in case of emergency, or to fenders which are permanently supported in one position closely adjacent to the track.

The particular fender which I have illustrated includes two forwardly-extending and downwardly-inclined bars 10, to which is secured at their front ends a transverse plate or bar 11, and supporting a series of transversely-extending spaced rods 12 constituting the carrying portion of the fender. At the front edge of the plate or bar 11, I mount a member 13 constituting the important feature of my present invention. This member is illustrated as a plate connected intermediate its edges to the plate or bar 11,

by hinges 14. Suitable springs 15 tend to normally hold this plate in the position indicated in Fig. 2, that is, in a forwardlyand downwardly-inclined position with its front edge closely adjacent to the ground. The plate presents a downwardly-curved rear edge portion 16, which may serve as a stop to limit the movement of the plate under the action of the springs. The plate in this position tends to slip beneath any obstruction which is encountered and which is readily movable. In case the obstruction be a rigid projection in the road-bed, such, for instance, as a projecting spike, a paving block, a manhole cover, or the like, the front edge of the plate upon encountering such obstruction, will be stopped, but the body of the fender may continue moving forwardly and the plate will tilt first to a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, and then to a reversely inclined position, as shown in Fig. 3. When in the position indicated in Fig. 3, it is evident that the plate will slip over any ordinary fixed projection in the roadbed, and in doing so, will raise the fender so that'the entire fender may readily pass over. The springs 15 are of preferably of such strength that as soon as the plate is free of the obstruction, the spring will pull the plate back to the position shown in Fig. 2. In case the obstruction is a large body which can not readily be picked up and which the fender can not pass over, the plate after encountering it may rise to the position shown in Fig. 3 and continue in this position while pushing the obstructionvalong the path prior to the stopping of the vehicle. It will be noted that when in this position,-the fender presents a broad flat surface, which will not cut into-the obstruction and which will give an increased surface and reduce the liability of injuring the fender by excessive pressure at any one point. Furthermore, it serves to take up the shock of the sudden impact of the fender with the obstruction.

It is, of course, evident that the plate 13 may be of greater or less length than the I 7 plate 11 and that the plate 13 may be made up of a series of sections, each independently hinged to the plate 11. I have illustrated the' plate 18 as being formed of two sections.

By making the sections short, it is evident that the entire member 13 need not tilt upon encountering an obstruction; only one particular section which encounters the obstruction will tilt to pass over the obstruction but in tilting will tend to raise the entire fender body.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A car fender having a body portion and means for automatically raising the front edge thereof when the fender encounters a comparatively small obstacle to permit said fender body to pass over said obstacle, said means comprising a. comparatively narrow plate extending along the front edge of the fender body and pivoted intermediate of its edges at the front edge of said fender body, and resilient means normally tending to hold said plate in a forwardly and down wardly inclined position but permitting the downward and rearward movement of said front edge beneath the edge of said fender body to lift the front edge of said body and to bring said plate to a downwardly and rearwardly inclined position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK E. HUTGHINGS. i

Witnesses:

CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, FLORENCE LEVIEN.

' copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

